Even The Tooth Fairy's On A Budget In This Lousy Economy

Apparently the recession runs so deep in America, it's now
affecting figments of our imagination.

“Like many Americans, the Tooth Fairy needed to tighten her belt
in 2011, but she's hopeful for a recovery this year,” said Chris
Pyle, spokesperson for the Delta Dental Plans Association.

In a survey of more than 1,300 parents, the organization
found the going rate for a lost tooth in American has plummeted
42 cents to a paltry $2.10 this year.

That's the largest decline in Tooth Fairy financing since the
original poll was conducted back in 1998.

More often than not, kids will find $1 under their pillows and
once the novelty of losing their first baby tooth wears off,
they'll earn less and less, the study found.

And if shedding pearly whites wasn't already a biological
certainty, it'd be no surprise if they all fell out anyway. More
than one-third of parents said they let their little ones suck
down 3-4 sugary drinks a day – about 3-4 too many if you ask the
DDPA.

At least 90% of parents still take their kids for dental
check-ups twice a year. Those co-pays may sting your wallet a
bit, but skipping out will only cost more in the long-run.